~UNKNOWN FRIENDS~
It was the last morning of the
4 day conference. Someone among us had
asked for our prayers. We sat
around the room,heads bowed,
and prayed for an "unknown friend".
Through the corner of my eye,
I watched my neighbor,sitting
with closed eyes and rapt face.
I had winced, thinking,this
one is a wet blanket.
Now I watched her with affection,
for I had come to know her as a
warm, delightful person. All around
the room I could see others
whom I had thought dull or
antagonistic or shallow, until I
came to know them. How well the
phrase "unknown friend" described these
people! I had thought I was meeting
strangers, but I was really meeting
friends, waiting to be known.
Twelve hours later, I stood in line
to board a plane home. The
young man in front of me stepped
back and stumbled against my bag.
He knocked it over.
He muttered something under his
breath. A sharp retort sprang
to my mind, for I did not like
his longhaired looks anyway.
Then the thought came...
maybe this is another...
"UNKNOWN FRIEND!"
